Merci klodaway.
En raison de manque de réponses, j'ai fait une petite recherche sur le net.
Si j'ai bien compris on traduit "2 bémols à la clé" par:
"two-flat key signature".
"This piece of music has a two-flat key signature". ??
No musicians out there to help me??
En raison de manque de réponses, j'ai fait une petite recherche sur le net.
Si j'ai bien compris on traduit "2 bémols à la clé" par:
"two-flat key signature".
"This piece of music has a two-flat key signature". ??
No musicians out there to help me??
We would say This piece/song is in B flat. I would say piece is more common in a classical context, while song/track is more common in a popular music context. Except when learning the key signatures I don't think I've ever heard a musician say it has two-flats, and definitely not has a two-flat key signature.
"This section (of music) is in two flats."
I have heard and used "in two flats" with musicians who read music but don't know any theory, but I would use only "in B flat" with my friend who carries a bag full of tin whistles in various keys.
I have heard and used "in two flats" with musicians who read music but don't know any theory, but I would use only "in B flat" with my friend who carries a bag full of tin whistles in various keys.
Here in France it is very common to say
"il y a 2 dièses / 3 bémols, etc. à la clé".
Of course you can say as well "c'est en Ré majeur / Do mineur, etc."
I found these quotes on the internet:
"Only I forgot till I had finished that it was in two sharps," she added sadly."
"If a piece is written in three flats, which notes will be flat?"
"A particular piece he was playing by Rachmaninoff was written in four flats"
So that confirms what Forero wrote. Thanks.
"il y a 2 dièses / 3 bémols, etc. à la clé".
Of course you can say as well "c'est en Ré majeur / Do mineur, etc."
I found these quotes on the internet:
"Only I forgot till I had finished that it was in two sharps," she added sadly."
"If a piece is written in three flats, which notes will be flat?"
"A particular piece he was playing by Rachmaninoff was written in four flats"
So that confirms what Forero wrote. Thanks.
à la clé : in the key signature
What's stated above is all correct. In English, a key signature corresponds to a key which is stated as a note (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) and then Major and Minor for the scale you are using. The note used corresponds to the first note of the scale.
For the rules of thumb for figuring out the Major scales from the key signature, see the wikipedia entry for "Key Signatures" and look in the section "Table of key signatures" for the rules of thumb about figuring out the key in major . I've summarized it below.
No sharps or flats is C major
One flat is F major
For more than one flat, the (major) key is the next-to-last (second from right) flat.
For any number of sharps, take the last sharp displayed in the key signature and go up one semitone to get the (major) key. For example, in the A major key signature, the last sharp is G♯, so go up one semitone from G♯ to get A major.
The same key signature also applies to a minor scale. The corresponding minor scales would be a third below the major scale, ie C Major has the same key signature as A minor.
In many cases, when a musician looks at a key signature, an English speaker will only say the key and not "major" or "minor" afterwards. So, most musicians will look at a key signature with one sharp and say that the music is "in G" without adding the word "major". In other words, if a speaker says that a piece is in "G", that means "G major" but if a piece uses a minor scale, then you must say "minor" after the key note, ie, "E minor."
Typically, the key signatures using sharps are most often used for major scales, but flats are the typical used for minor scales. Therefore (getting to the original question), two flats is most likely in G minor (but it could also be in "Bb major").
For the rules of thumb for figuring out the Major scales from the key signature, see the wikipedia entry for "Key Signatures" and look in the section "Table of key signatures" for the rules of thumb about figuring out the key in major . I've summarized it below.
No sharps or flats is C major
One flat is F major
For more than one flat, the (major) key is the next-to-last (second from right) flat.
For any number of sharps, take the last sharp displayed in the key signature and go up one semitone to get the (major) key. For example, in the A major key signature, the last sharp is G♯, so go up one semitone from G♯ to get A major.
The same key signature also applies to a minor scale. The corresponding minor scales would be a third below the major scale, ie C Major has the same key signature as A minor.
In many cases, when a musician looks at a key signature, an English speaker will only say the key and not "major" or "minor" afterwards. So, most musicians will look at a key signature with one sharp and say that the music is "in G" without adding the word "major". In other words, if a speaker says that a piece is in "G", that means "G major" but if a piece uses a minor scale, then you must say "minor" after the key note, ie, "E minor."
Typically, the key signatures using sharps are most often used for major scales, but flats are the typical used for minor scales. Therefore (getting to the original question), two flats is most likely in G minor (but it could also be in "Bb major").
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En tant que musicienne, je confirme qu'une traduction quasi-littérale serait parfaitement naturelle et compréhensible :
This piece has two flats in the key signature.
Le prof de musique demandera par la suite quelle est la tonalité du morceau : What key is it in?
Et la réponse :
B-flat major or G minor, we cannot tell from the key signature alone.
Si bémol majeur ou Sol mineur, impossible de dire en ne regardant que l'armure.
N.B. Comme d'autres l'ont dit, avoir deux bémols à la clé ne correspond absolument pas à Si bémol mineur.
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Thanks for your long reply Pines222!
But my question was NOT what key is indicated by 2 flats, just how you say it in English. ;-)
(BTW, I don't agree that flats generally indicate minor keys and sharps major keys (but I'm going off topic here). As far as I know for each number of sharps or flats there is a major AND a minor key "associated" to it.)
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